5 Killed in Multi-Vehicle Crash in Pennsylvania Turnpike

iCrowd Newswire08 Apr 2020, 07:04 GMT+10

A tour bus, three tractor-trailers, and a passenger vehicle were involved in a crash in southwest Pennsylvania on January 5th, 2020. The accident took place about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in which five people were killed and dozens injured.

A tour bus crashed into an embankment that started a chain reaction involving at least one passenger vehicle and three tractor-trailers as per authorities.

Tour Bus Caused Multi-Vehicle Crash

Pennsylvania State Police said the bus was on its way to Cincinnati on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when it hit an embankment in Mount Pleasant Township.

There were two tractor-trailers right behind the bus which couldn't stop in time. Trooper Stephen Limani reported that a third tractor-trailer crashed into the first two. The result was an entangled mess. It is still not clear what caused the tour bus to hit the embankment in the first place.

Injured Rushed to Hospitals

Sixty people were injured in total, out of which two are in critical condition. Other injuries do not appear to be life threatening. The injured were taken to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Somerset, Excela Frick Hospital, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Forbes Hospital.

The bus flipped on its side after hitting the embankment with the tractor-trailers jammed right next to it on the edge of the roadway. One of the tractor-trailers belonged to FedEx which caused the road to be littered with cardboard boxes.

Z&D Tour owns the tour bus and claimed there were 56 passengers on board. Chen Dan Yu, owner of Z&D, claims the weather was to blame for the crash since it started snowing all of a sudden.

However, Trooper Limani asserted that no other driver speaks of the weather changing suddenly. There was some precipitation, but it was not enough to impair road conditions or visibility.

Initial Steps Can Make All the Difference in a Pennsylvania Bus Accident Lawsuit

What a victim does at the scene of the accident can go a long way in the success of a bus crash lawsuit as most passenger bus accident attorneys would state. Victims must call 911 and seek the medical help they require. If in another vehicle, the victim should turn on the hazard lights and not move the vehicle unless first responders arrive on the scene.

It's critical to never leave the scene of an accident and to get names and numbers of all potential eyewitnesses and other parties involved. It can be helpful to write down names and badge numbers of police officials as well. Never admit fault and try to get in touch with a passenger bus accident lawyer as soon as possible.